What does the Green Island cricket team, the Crusaders and the Auckland rugby team which had a mortgage on the Ranfurly Shield from 1985 to 1993 have in common?
Their success irked their opponents beyond belief.
In the past 10 years, Green Island has won seven Dunedin senior cricket titles, and it won four titles in the 10 years before that.
The Swamp Rats have also enjoyed success at the national club championships, claiming or sharing five titles.
But, despite all that success, the club is not immune to the malaise which is tormenting the game's grassroots.
In 1988, there were 59 men's teams competing across the various grades in Dunedin. The number has fallen to 33. To put that into perspective, that is a loss of just under 400 men.
Taieri came close to pulling out of the senior grade this season and University-Grange will not field a team during the university holiday period.
Effectively, that leaves just five clubs competing for the prized Bing Harris Shield.
Green Island has been able to stave off the slow decline largely because of the success it has enjoyed over the past two decades.
The national club tournament is also a major drawcard for some of Green Island's more, shall we say, grizzled veterans, too.
But what happens when they leave?It is a question the club has spent some time pondering, club secretary Jeremy Scott acknowledged.
''We are only three or four years away from a couple of key retirements putting us in the same [situation],'' Scott said.
Green Island has been fortunate to retain the services of a core of experienced players who have remained in the sport despite changing personal circumstances.
''[Mark] Joyce is a father and he is still playing ... [Dion] Lobb keeps trucking. Russell Ritchie must be close to 30. I think he is 30, actually. Scott Simpson still wants to keep going and Ant Harris is umming and aahing because he has a couple of kids now.''
They are exactly the type of players who have vanished from a lot of other club cricket teams.
The fact Green Island has been able to hold on to them has been a major reason why the club has been so successful over a long period of time.
''We've been lucky - we've had good people holding [all our] teams together. If those guys stop playing then the teams will fall over and it is the same for everybody else.''
The club has been trying to foster closer ties with some of the city's schools and has also focused on retaining players from its junior ranks.
''We've tried to keep in touch with the Green Island juniors who have gone on to high school and we've said, make sure you come back and play for Green Island.''
More immediately, though, Green Island has a title to defend and is confident of a threepeat.
''The guys want to get to Auckland again [for the national club championships]. We think if an Otago team is going to win the knockout tournament in Auckland . . . then it has to be us because we think we are the most likely to succeed up there.''
With University-Grange skipping part of the season, and Otago Country and Otago Boys' High School also bit players, Green Island's competition will come from Albion, Carisbrook-Dunedin, Kaikorai and North East Valley.
Taieri is rebuilding and has set itself the goal of avoiding the wooden spoon.
Kaikorai won the title in 2011-12 and has added some exciting talent.
Otago Boys' High School players Josh Finnie and Rhys Bayly will play for Kaikorai in the opening round.
Bowlers Jackson Latham, Hamish Robertson and Ricky Black improved with each game last season and have returned again this summer.
Carisbrook-Dunedin played some good cricket before Christmas but fell away towards the end of the season.
Veteran gloveman Tony McEntyre has retired and seamer Craig Sneddon is easing back.
But look out for the likes of Liam Eathorne, Taine Bayly, Kane McKay and Max Chu. They will all be pushing hard for spots in the starting XI.
North East Valley finished fifth last season and will be looking to claw its way up the ladder.
The Murley brothers, Jamie and Simon, are vastly experienced.
It will be their role to mould the younger players.
Otago Country will play in the first round as part of its preparation for the Hawke Cup. Otago Boys' will take the Country side's place when it drops out.
The senior competition gets under way today with the one-day cup.
North East Valley plays Carisbrook-Dunedin, Otago Country has drawn Kaikorai, Albion hosts Taieri and University-Grange plays Green Island.
Dunedin club squads
Green Island
Last season: Champion.
Gain: Joel Meade.
Loss: Blair Soper.
Squad: Jesse Ryder, Hamish Rutherford, Greg Croudis, Nathan Watt, Scott Simpson, Mark Joyce, Anthony Harris, Bradley Scott, Ben Willemsen, Ben Hitchcock, Joel Meade, Dion Lobb, Russell Ritchie, Matthew Lobb, Ben Patston.
Albion
Last season: Second.
Gains: Roald Badenhurst (Central Districts), Dexter Marsh (Canterbury).
Losses: Chris Harris, Andrew Prouse, Greg Knowles.
Squad: Jamie Glenn, Tom Dixon, Tim Ford (captain), Jack Harper, Matt West, Mark Somerville, Daniel Ingram, Josh Cuttance, Michael Snedden, Blair Brown, Matt Brown, Roald Badenhorst, Felix Page, Dexter Marsh, Ricky Ashwell, Daniel Duke, Nick Beard, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Neil Wagner, Mark Craig, Daniel Hamilton, Richie Buchanan, Matt McCall, Taylor Cumberland.
Carisbrook-Dunedin
Last season: Third.
Gains: Cole Dawson, Josh Cunis, Liam Eathorne, Taine Bayly, Kane McKay, Max Chu.
Losses: Tony McEntyre, Craig Sneddon.
Squad: Nick Eathorne, Brad Rodden, Sean Eathorne, Rhys Phillips, Kieran Eathorne, Tim McCormick, Tom Rutherford, Michael Higgins Chris Ware, Sean Moran, Harry Jones, Josh Cunis, Cole Dawson, Liam Eathorne, Max Chu, Taine Bayly, Kane McKay.
Kaikorai
Last season: Fourth.
Gains: Josh Finnie, Rhys Bayly, Mac Bolderston, Mitch East.
Loss: Marcus Frost.
Squad: Ryan Duffy, Liam Cotton, Dan Sharples, Rhys Bayly, Iain Robertson, Josh Finnie, Geordie Scott, Matt Hunter, Hamish Robertson, Charles Darling, Shammika Rodrigo, Jackson Latham, Ricky Black, George Thomas, Jacob Duffy, Mac Bolderston, Josh Preston and Mitch East.
North East Valley
Last season: Fifth.
Gain: Ryan Adam.
Loss: Neil Broom.
Squad: Ryan Adam, Jerram Bateman, Sam Blakely, James Brinsdon, Derek de Boorder, Taylor Dunn, Tom Griffin, Isaac Gutschlag, Ted Haggas, Keegan Harrison, Will Kindley, Luke Le Brun, Adam Miles, Jens Moller, Jamie Murley, Simon Murley, Jimmy Neesham, Hamish O'Brien, Michael Rae, Sam Tallot, Lance Taylor, Dominic Thompson, Anthony Wilkinson.
University-Grange
Last season: Sixth.
Gains: None.
Losses: Ian Butler, Jason Hynes, Cam Rutherford, Ed Nuttall, Jesse Simpson.
Squad: Sam Wells, Micheal Bracewell, Aaron Redmond, James McMillan, Tim O'Sullivan, Alex Fill, Chris Beck, Micheal Haddleton, Nik Swain, Anthonie Clement, Brenton Thompson, David Simpson, Kurt Leuthart, Callum Stewart, AJ How, Luke Williamson, Cam Meads, Will Grey, Sam Lewis, Olly Bosworth.
Taieri
Last season: Seventh.
Gains: Ryan Littlejohn, Shelford Meads, Daniel Greenwood, Jack Driscoll, Jack Parker, Tipene Friday (Wellington), Keiran Wall.
Losses: Tony Hannagan, Ash Simpson, Tim Clydesdale, Sam Pringle, Josh Milne, Brad Frost, Phill Lill, Jarrod Casey.
Squad: Jack Hunter (co-captain), Toby Batchelor (co-captain), Jack Driscoll, Simon Cromarty, Jerrym Frost, Marcus Frost, Matt McCallum, Dwayne Weir, Kerian Wall, Daniel Greenwood, Matt Bruce, Jack Parker, Shelford Meads, Tipene Friday, Michael MacKenzie, Clint Hayward, Regan Sleeman, Ryan Littlejohn.
• Otago Country and Otago Boys' High School will also be in the competition at various points.
Otago Country: Chris Beck, Jarrod Andrew, Marcus Frost, Sam Blakely, Sean Windless, Adam Hubber, Kyle Hinton, Ross Anderson, James Pyle, Blake Buttar-Scurr, Kandinsky Brock, Michael Williams, Mark Phillips, Liam Cotton, Kyle Paresin, Jonathan Homer, Mark Knox, Sam Pringles, Kieran Parker, Fraser Wilson (captain).
Otago Boys': Josh Finnie, Blake Buttar-Scurr, Dylan Buttar-Scurr, Will Kindley, Mike Williams, Sam Angus, Taine Bayly, Cadin Brock, Will Hunter, Jarryd Taig, Cameron McAuslan, Declan Sua, Harry Smart, Josh Bates.
